I've had three haircuts this year, around 15 dollars each ($14 + 1 for tip). Costco sized Head and Shoulders lasts me a year and a half. I use bar soap with a washcloth, so that costs next to nothing. I just bought some hairwax so my longish hair doesn't get crazy in the morning when I ride to school on my bike when my hair is wet. The wax is the only product I have ever put in my hair. I dunno, I just kinda go for the natural not give a fuck look. I used the same fusion head they sent me for turning 18 for 2 years. Just tossed it like a year ago. I've used 3 different razor heads my entire life. I don't find them to dull at all.
Once upon a time, I spent about $30 with tip on a haircut every three weeks or so. I kept a short haircut and was extremely self-conscious about it looking like it was a clean, fresh cut. For the past year I've been using my clippers w/ no guard every week or two, so it's the same level of vanity but without the $500/year price tag. I also occasionally (every 2-3 months) paid for eyebrow waxing, mostly because it was only $20 and saved me the hassle of tweezing that unibrow shit. It also looked damn good. Until I began this most recent facial hair endeavor, I hadn't shaved with anything but a no-guard beard trimmer, every few days, for at least a year. Clean-shaven is completely overrated when you don't need to be, and I'm of the mind that most women prefer a guy who at least appears like he needs to shave occasionally. The only thing I'm moderately vain about now is clothing. Not for the name brand or anything, but my uniform is typically a polo or button down and non-pleated, non-cargo khaki shorts. I know what looks good on me, so I try to keep fairly new, unfaded shirts. As for women, I say spend whatever you want on hair, clothing, makeup etc. It's the same reason I don't see a reason to get upset when a lady is "running late" (aside from the enjoyment you get from making us wait). You're at least partially expending that much effort on my behalf, so please go to town. That said, I've never had to pay out of pocket for female beauty products, so I'm sure there would eventually be a line I would draw somewhere.
I feel like there is an unnatural number of guys on here with extremely short hair or the ones with longer hair they maintain just don't speak up. I've previously mentioned how I've always been OCD about my hair. When I was younger in HS and part of college, I used to wear it a bit shaggy and my mom would thin it out every 6 weeks or so. But now that I wear it a bit shorter, I'm much more particular about it. I have alot of waves and have gotten plenty of bad haircuts that bother the hell out of me till they grow out. As of about 4 months ago, I have a girl, a friend really, who cuts my hair at one of the salons in the city. I get a full cut every 6 weeks, but I go every 3 weeks and get a trim which she doesnt charge me for. But when I think about it, $25 for 2 cuts every 6 weeks is a steal. Which I then blow on the product I put in. Damn Bedhead products. I'm product loyal and my mom used to buy it for me when I was younger, and now that I foot the bill, I should switch, but I'm just used to it so I drop like $15 for a tin every 2-3 months or so. I'm sure I spend more on hair and skin/face expenditures than alot of guys, and most guys here, but it doesn't bother me. I'm never gonna be confused for a rugged manly man, so I might as well make an effort to keep myself put together in a way that suits my look and frame/appearance. Using pricey face lotion or getting a salon cut doesn't make you less of a man and not giving a shit about anything regarding your appearance doesn't make you a rugged pinnacle of manliness. Do what makes you feel comfortable...unless you take more time than most girls or just don't shower, then change your life dude
I can't speak for everyone here, but consider the age of a lot of the regular posters. My hair started thinning and my hairline began receding ever so slightly when I was about 22. It got to the point when I was 26 that, without putting spray sunscreen on at the beach, I got a terrible scalp sunburn because my hair just wasn't thick any more. I finally said "fuck it", realized that a lot of women love shaved/bald heads and realized that a thick head of hair is not a deal maker/breaker for the ladies (see: Jack Nicholson, Jude Law, Michael Chiklis, Jason Statham etc). I agree on general cleanliness and a presentable wardrobe. You can wear jeans and a t-shirt, but if they're wrinkled & dirty or your natural musk is Ball Sweat, you're doing it wrong. A good rule of thumb for men is "Look like you took at least 10 minutes to get ready to leave the house, 12 if you have hair". Unless you're a successful musician, grungy is not an attractive look.
Meh. I go to a barber, he does a better and quieter job at the fraction of the price. And I LOVE the old timey hot towel-straight razor shaves once in a while if I'm going to a wedding or something. Aside from that I'm your basic dude. Shampoo for hair washing. Conditioner for shower masturbation purposes. Skin cream for non-shower masturbation purposes. So and and so forth. My hair length usually ranges from Tom Cruise in the first M.I. movie to down past my eyes, but I never do anything fancy with it except to get rid of the billion or so cow licks I have. When my hair grows long, I look like the lead singer of Econoline Crush. One thing I AM dead set against is spas for guys. Look, I'm all one for keeping up appearences, especially if you were gifted with looks to flaunt. Whether you like to preen or stay natural, whatever help gets you laid the more power to you my friend. This is also something that can be done mostly in the comfort of your own home and not at a para-mansion salloon with a Vatican-wannabe fountain out in front of it with a centre sculpture of pedophile-designed naked cupids giving a golden shower to a creepily smiling unicorn. I feel (straight) guys should at least obtain some sense of manliness and going to get your fucking eyebrows sculpted is not one of them. You look weird. Oh, and I like how you turn away from the window so nobody you might know walks by and sees your shame-filled ass getting a peddy. Look at yourself in the mirror. Do you have two eyebrows? Good. We're done. I just saved you thirty bucks, buy a case of beer.
I spend $90-120 getting my hair done, but I only get it done every 2-3 months. If I had a job that required it, I'd get it done more, but as is, I play sports a lot, and getting it done twice per month is just not in the financial cards for me. Grooming wise, I'm pretty straightforward. Hand soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and if I feel like a different smell, I'll use a bit of body oil. The only thing I spend more than the average person on is nail clippers, but that's just because I always lose them and my nails grow fast. I don't shave yet, so that saves money. I'll have to start soon though, which is both sad and exciting.
Focus:How much is reasonable? How much do you spend? What do you do yourself to save money? Alt Alt Focus: What would happen if you could not indulge in your most important beauty routine ever again? How much is reasonable? I think that mostly depends on your disposable income. I have a lot less than most but more than some. I think my "reasonable" would be difficult to imagine for most professional women my age. Routine Stuff: haircut-4 or 5 times a year at $45 a piece eyebrow threading-$8 every month skincare-probably 3 or 4 jars of moisturizer per year prescription ointments/serums/creams-about $400 a year (but it's worth every cent because it actually works, and it's so high because my insurance doesn't pay for much. I think taking care of skin is a huge investment that greatly affects how people look 10 or 20 years from now. I will always make my skin and teeth top priorities). I rarely buy makeup or hair products beyond shampoo and conditioner. My list already looks pretty high. I guess I don't understand women who regularly get manis, pedis, facials, blowouts, or color. I don't know how they have time for all of that. If I couldn't get my eyebrows threaded I'd be pretty unhappy. I'd look pretty Brooke Shields. And not in a good way.
I buy a new $20 pair of clippers once a year or so for maintaining my beard. I shave my head. I mostly wear shirts from shirt.woot.com ($20 delivered) and jeans. I spend about $50 a month on shaving product. Expensive shaving cream and after shave lotion, and over priced Gillette multi blade razors. I've tried everything I can find on the market and they work better for me than anything else. I also use a caffine infused eye roller - which makes me feel like less of a man to admit publicly. But I noticed in a bunch of my photos recently that my eyes were half closed / looked small and ugly. The eye roller thing seems to be helping. I don't generally spend money on work or day to day clothes. But I have a fair wardrobe of clubbing/fetish wear - which isn't to say that I dress up in latex or leather. I just have some nice gothy outfits that I wear clubbing or to fetish events. Full length leather trench for winter. Full length brocade pirate coat for spring/autumn, leather suspenders for punk/fetish outfits. $200 top hat for alice in wonderland themed parties. several pairs of calf high boots. Add to that the stupid gimmick shoes I've randomly bought (Vibram 5 fingers, sketchers shape ups, flip flops with arch supports) and my shoes are probably the most expensive section of my wardrobe.
I get my hair cut/colored for probably $150 every 2 to 3 months, because my natural hair color is simply not attractive, and also I get bored easily. Sometimes I'm brunette, sometimes I'm blonde, sometimes a redhead, etc. Color is really fun, and my life would be sad without it. I also have extremely hard to manage curly hair, so I buy very fancy shampoo and hair products, which last a very long time, but earlier in this thread, someone said their "expensive" shampoo cost $6. Try $20 to $30 for Davines, Biolage, Bumble & Bumble (or even more). I use five products, and am now a well oiled machine--shampoo and dry shampoo, conditioner, leave in conditioner, and curl cream. I think make up is fun, but don't need it and frequently will not wear it. When I do wear it, it is usually just eyeliner and mascara. I use a basic regimen of skin care things from Kiehl's, which I guess are expensive, but again last forever. And, as TX said, invest in your skin! With all of this said, I am super low maintenance (I promise). It takes me maybe 10 minutes to get ready in the morning, and tops 30 for something special. There's an unfair bias out there against girls who color their hair, etc. It doesn't automatically make us prissy or high maintenance; maybe it just makes us look better! And, finally, to the point of the quote. I work 60 hour weeks. I used to be in school with a more than full time schedule and also work full time. It's a nice break to get a pedicure, or go get your hair done. You have to think of it as setting things aside to take some time for yourself.
FOCUS: I'm rugged man in some aspects, and preening man in others, I guess. Shampoo, I use the Head & Shoulders 2-in-1. Buy a big bottle at Sam's Club, and you're good for awhile. Over the last year, the wife has finally gotten me to switch from bar soap to bodywash, and I must admit, she was right. I use Gilette, Irish Spring, whatever is on sale, and it's all good. I do take a bit in the shower, but that's because I'm a little OCD when it comes to making sure I've washed everything. I don't like going out with a dirty taint. I use whatever facial wash the wife has purchased. I have sensitive combo (oily and dry) skin, so I need to keep it clean. Razors: I go through razors like you wouldn't believe. I have very thick, coarse facial hair, and as much as I'd like, I'm not allowed to rock a 3-day beard at work. I buy the Gillette Fusion Turbo, and that allows me to shave every other day for work. Otherwise, I'd get that lovely ingrown hair deal. Slap on some Nivea for Men aftershave lotion, and I'm ready to go. I must confess I get pedicures. Yeah, think I'm gay or whatever, but if you work on your feet, I highly recommend them. I try to get them at least once a month, but poor timing and laziness have caused me to put it off for awhile. And no, you don't have to get your toes painted. I used to get regular massages since my insurance paid for "Manual Therapy" from my chiropractors office, but insurance canceled them, and I'm too cheap to pay $75 on the regular for them. I do spend more than most of my coworkers on my workshoes. Birkenstock's Professional Clogs are long lasting and comfortable as hell. If you bartend or wait tables, I say they are your best friend. Around $85-$100 US, but the pair I just replaced lasted me 3 years of abuse. I even would wear them on my days off.
I used to spend a lot for sneakers, but not anymore. For clothes: Gilt is fucking amazing for paying lower prices for really nice clothes. So I guess I'm kind of a snob in that sense, but I spend rarely enough that I try to buy quality when I do. I'm generally pretty cheap when it comes to hair/body/face. I've been growing my hair out recently, but generally I pay like $20 for a haircut, lower when I'm in a less-expensive city. My shampoo is some Axe shit my old roommate left behind (aka free), and my body wash (Irish Spring) was the cheapest in the store. Fuck bar soap, it dries my skin out. When I need to tame the Hindu-fro, some generic tea tree oil. The only thing I miss right now is some conditioner (Garnier Fructis), since my hair gets really tangly when it's this long. I will confirm the FUCK out of this. I've got a pretty coarse beard, but wetshaving cleans that shit right up. And the best part is, my shaving kit** was free, thanks to winning a lottery on a wetshaving forum. Throw some Aqua Velva aftershave on that (1 bottle lasts forever), and I feel amazing. And it's cheap, if you can live without the huge array of brushes and creams and all that. **Feather portable safety razor, blades, shitty Burma-Shave brush, C.O. Bigelow cream. A proper cream+brush makes the biggest difference. I tried shave soaps as well, but they're more work for a worse shave in my eyes. Sorry man, I couldn't let this one go. What?
A few of the girls I'm involved with do a 'Spa Day' once a month - that includes mani/pedi/facial/massage/exfoliation/sauna/blah blah blah. it's about 6 hours on a Saturday where they go as a group and get ridiculously pampered. Either every other month or quarterly, the same group extend spa day to include hair day - where they get the insane hair thing done. They usually put away one or two bottles of wine each over the course of the day - and it's not mind blowingly expensive (although I would never have paid that kind of money for a fucking haircut, even when I had hair). They seem to have a pretty good time. I don't fucking get it, an hour of that shit might be relaxing, but after 6 hours, or 8 when they do the hair thing as well, I'd want to fellate a shotgun just to liven the fucking day up. But for one Saturday a month - they do come back looking pretty fucking good. Only one of them has been long term into that kind of regular maintenance - but since they started the spa day thing - it's gotten pretty popular. From the broader circle of friends, I think about 30 girls are at least semi regulars for it at this point.
Ditto. Plus, when I'm DOING that stuff, all I can think about is what I could be doing that is actually productive at that moment. Spending time getting my hair cut means the whole time I'm in the chair, I'm answering emails, reading, studying, and waiting for her to hurry up and finish so I can go on with my life. Don't get me STARTED on pedicures. I don't do manicures because my hands get eaten by the barbells pretty regularly. But pedicures...eh. Once every 3 or 4 months? That way I avoid looking like I have hooves...and again, the whole time I'm thinking about what I can be doing that is going to net me some income.
Yeah, I grow some hair on my chin, but I just cut a little off with a pair of those small scissors every couple months. I've never done the whole razor thing because I didn't get hair on my cheeks/neck/face etc. I'm starting to get a little bit of hair there though, so I'll have to figure it out. I've never been able to do the stubble look or anything though. You think 6-8 hours for a spa day is bad, when I was first getting started, it used to take that 4-6 hours to get my hair done. The guy I used to go to was very good (like, a person doing my hair 2 years later could tell he started me good) but extremely slow and leisurely. It was inevitably and all day process when you count how far away he lived.
Nearly three pages in and no one has copped to anal bleaching? Me neither. So what is up with all of you guys using body wash? What happened to good old fashioned bar soap? Admittedly, I gave up on lye-and-sand-out-of-a-bucket after all of my body hair fell out and the scarring got so thick I could barely bend my arms or legs. But bar soap? Nothing wrong with that. In addition to bar soap, I spend a minimal amount on shaving cream (99 cents a can), razor blades, toothpaste and inexpensive shampoo a month. I pay about $17 every two months to have a cute chick half my age cut my hair. My only "indulgence" would be using Tom's of Maine natural deodorant. It just seems like slathering aluminum under your arms every day for 50 years may not be a good idea.
This describes my personal maintenance as well. I even just let my mate cut my hair during our holiday to save a little bit of extra money. Just make the long bits shorter, and use a bit of common sense. Too easy. As mentioned, its a lot easier for guys, as long as you don't dress like a snob, keep yourself looking mainly clean It does mean they've convinced me to go home with a mullet, but that's a different story. As for girl's, obviously after relating it to how much I spend on personal care, I can't fathom the amount of money they spend. I suppose they would probably say the same to me in regards to video games, beer, or sport though.
Focus:How much is reasonable? How much do you spend? What do you do yourself to save money? Reasonable: for a guy, anything over $30 seems silly. For a girl, I'm not sure how much is reasonable, because there's a certain amount of therapeutic benefit to ladies who either "get a fantastic cut" or have been going to the one person that cuts/styles their hair correctly for years. It seems to me, you ought to be able to find a reasonable cut for less than $60, but that's one of those things you should splurge on if it makes you happy. Me: $15 every 4 weeks at Great Clips. #5 all over. kthxbye. Save: Well, the only thing I spend money on is the haircut, so I guess I do everything else myself to save money. I also go with the Suave 2-in-1. (High five, BD!) Drag a brush through it once, no blow dry, no gel. Alt Focus: Ever seen an absurd display of vanity? I have a friend whose wife has to be at work at 8:30. She gets up at 5:00 every day and spends 2 1/2 hours showering, hair drying and makeup. She gets up early on Saturday if we're going out to the lake on their boat, so she can do her makeup. I do not get that. Alt Alt Focus: What would happen if you could not indulge in your most important beauty routine ever again? N/A I started getting grey hair when I was 10, was "salt and pepper" at 30 and the next time I renew my license, I'm pretty sure I'll have to put grey down for my hair color. (Thankfully, it's turned grey but hasn't turned loose. Suck it bald guys that make fun of my grey hair!) I have never colored my whole hair. However, I do have this one all grey patch near my forehead hair line that drives me crazy. It's the first thing I see in pictures of myself, and where my gaze goes in the mirror. A few years ago, I tried coloring just that to make it match the rest of my hair. It looked okay, but then I just got lazy and gave up on the vanity.
Because a bottle of store-brand body wash lasts a couple months when you use it with a cheap loofa. They make the body wash lather up like hell and dry out fast when yer done.
Bar soap dries me out so bad. I stopped using it because 20 minutes after my shower I felt like I drank from the wrong grail.